1818 - Archibald Constable and Co., Edinburgh - First Edition

A lovely copy of one of the earliest books for the dry-fly purist, illustrated with 12twelvehand-coloured copper-engraved plates of 194 flies, arranged under the months from May to September. In contemporary binding and housed in custom morocco-backed slipcase.

This copy from the library of James Benkard, President (1879-83) of the exclusive ‘South Side Club’, Long Island, an angler’s club on Long Island, formed of ’ one hundred gentlemen, millionaires, merchants and professional men of note’. (NY Times, April 2, 1882). More details

1896 - John Macqueen, London - First Edition

A beautiful copy, illustrated throughout by John Williamson.

Including chapters on bird life, the moors, marine mammals and fish, the stag, lochs and the Shetlands.

Price HK$ 1,200

Dry Fly Entomology, A Brief Description of Leading Types of Natural Insects Serving as Food for Trout and Grayling, with 100 Best Patterns of Floating Flies and the Various Methods of Dressing them. -
Frederic M. Halford

1897 - Vinton & Company Limited, London - First Edition

With 28 colour and black & white plates of flies, two folding charts, illustrations throughout text. More details

1952 - Charles Scribner's Sons, New York - First Edition, First Issue

‘I am a strange old man’.

‘But are you strong enough now for a truly big fish?’

‘I think so. And there are many tricks’.

Price HK$ 28,000

The British Angler's Manual, Or, The Art Of Angling In England, Scotland, Wales, And Ireland. With Some Account Of The Principal Rivers, Lakes, And Trout Streams, In The United Kingdom; With Instructions In Fly-Fishing, Trolling, And Angling At The Bottom, And More Particularly For The Trout. Embellished with numerous engravings on steel and wood, chiefly from original pictures and drawings by the author. -
Thomas C. Hofland

1839 - Whitehead & Co. / R. Ackermann, London - First Edition

An angling treatise ‘the result of more than thirty years’ practice’ by the eminent English landscape painter, Thomas Christopher Hofland [1777-1843]. ‘An agreeably written and beautifully illustrated work’.

Most of the steel engraved plates are by the author (nine views and four exquisite engravings of artificial flies) along with many of the 39 woodcuts. Two of the plates are in facsimile. More details

Price HK$ 1,500

1895 - Published by the Author, London - First Edition

One of the finest books produced on the Salmon Fly, for the passionate fly fisherman, with eight beautiful full page colour plates of flies, and over 120 black and white wood engraved illustrations. In The Salmon Fly, George Kelson boldly and confidently distilled a lifetime of salmon fishing wisdom into this privately published work. In the publisher’s bright burgundy and gilt cloth, housed in a custom felt lined slipcase.

The first part of the book is devoted to the techniques of tying the salmon fly as well as patterns for individual flies. The second part is devoted to the practical aspects of fishing for salmon with the fly, locating fish, casting techniques, catching and landing fish and various accessories and equipment. More details

Price HK$ 9,500

1901 - Published by the Author, London - First Edition

This lovely work, is the follow up to Kelson’s large and highly successful ‘The Salmon Fly’ published in 1895. Here he gives illustrated and up to date guidance to those interested the art of catching the king of fish with a fly, in a book at such a price as will bring it within the reach of all.

Grouped into seven chapters - The Rod to Select; The Fly to Use; Methods of Casting; Riverside Hints; Wading; Knots; and Modern Improvements.

Interspersed amongst the 25 illustrations are wonderful illustrated advertisements for Burberrys, as well as numerous advertisements to the rear. Tipped in on a separate pink sheet is a notice for the author's "The Salmon Fly... only a few copies left".

In the publisher’s bright burgundy and gilt cloth, housed in a custom burgundy cloth slipcase More details

Price HK$ 3,500

1976 - The University of Chicago Press, Chicago and London - First Edition

‘In our family, there was no clear line between religion and fly fishing’A freshly landed first edition of Maclean’s beautiful first book and the first work of fiction to be published by the University of Chicago Press, where he had been a professor for many years. Maclean had told versions of these stories, over the years, to a number of people who encouraged him, finally, to write them down at the age of eighty.

‘We lived at the junction of great trout rivers in western Montana, and our father was a Presbyterian minister and a fly fisherman who tied his own flies and taught others. He told us about Christ's disciples being fishermen, and we were left to assume, as my brother and I did, that all first-class fishermen on the Sea of Galilee were fly fishermen.’ More details